Leadership Is an Art

 Leadership Is an Art by Max Depree

Max Depree was the CEO of chair manufacturer Herman Miller. The company gave each employee stock ownership once they had reached on year of employment. This was part of the leadership style that encouraged ownership. Managers and workers were encouraged to work together for the benefit of the company. Leaders were encouraged to help others grow in their role and produce new leaders.

The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age

What makes a strong leader? Is it just charisma? Does it require force and strong will? Who are examples of transformational leaders in the modern age.

Archie Brown attempts to differentiate among different degrees and characteristics of leadership as well as tease out the leaders that happened to be at the right place at the right time with those that were truly impactful.

The take on US presidents is interesting. Johnson was a strong leader. He cajoled and manipulated others to get his policies through. He used his strength as a senator and president to advocate for himself. He knew he had little chance of getting elected as a southerner, so willingly signed up to be vice president. He was then able to get re-elected on his own. He pushed through many civil rights and welfare programs as part of his great society. His strengths and obstinance also extended the Vietnam War (and led to his downfall.) 

Both Reagan and Clinton were seen as sociable leaders that did little special other than serve while things were happening. Reagan was president during the final phase of the cold war as the USSR was about to die. Clinton served during a period of a booming economy in the late 1990s. The author acknowledges that they related well to the people. However, he posits that Reagan did very little to help bring about the fall of the USSR. He just happened to be there when it happened. (Meanwhile Margaret Thatcher in England and Gorbachev in the USSR were seen as more important, strong rulers. )  As for Clinton was gifted a great economy, yet failed to make many lasting changes. 

The book has some interesting ideas, though comes across more as an opinion piece than a scholarly work. There are some conclusions of characteristics drawn, but it feels more like "I know a strong leader when I see one."

Radical Candor

Radical Candor explores the best ways to give feedback to others in constructive ways. It uses a few different quadrants to identify types of employee trajectories as well as the means of giving feedback. "Radical Candor" is feedback given in a truthful, empathetic manner. An alternative is being blunt and mean without being empathetic. This is actually preferable to being too empathetic, but not telling people what they are doing wrong. (You may think you are being kind, but this often just postpones the big nasty confrontation and doesn't give the person the chance to change.) Employees trajectories use different axes of performance and growth. Some employees want to become excellent at what they are doing and do not want to grow to other positions, while others want to grow. Different life events can impact the phase that an employee is in. Bosses need to understand that and give appropriate feedback.
The author has worked in tech startups as well as with Google and Apple. She gives many examples from her experience, including a large number where she made mistakes and how she would have done it better. Sometimes being "nice" ended up making things much worse for everybody in the long run. It is better to provide truthful, accurate feedback than to try to whitewash everything. Putting on a nice front, while being passive aggressive internally does not help. She provides interesting comparisons between the two cultures. At Apple people tend to get really good at certain things, while at Google, they are always looking for new challenges.
It is also important to get buy in from others when doing something - even if the something seems good. She gave an example of a failure at Google where she had attempted to implement a top-down reorganization. It was a valuable restructure, but she did not have buy-in from her direct reports and many ended up leaving. Luckily, she had the opportunity to try again, and was able to do it successfully after working with her team, rather than imposing her will.
The book contains many tools to help encourage radical candor at work. Much of it must originate from above. However, anybody can try to bring it about, though they must be cautious in how they do it. (She does tell a horror story of a worker that was fired for being radically candid with his boss. Luckily, this worker ended up in a better job.) In the end more open communication can help everybody to succeed.

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership

Be true to yourself. That pretty much sums up True North. Often long lasting success depends on going off the "scripted" rise to the top and doing what fits better with your values and moral compass. Leadership does not require a position of responsibility. Instead it requires a genuine desire to help others be better. Often some of the most helpful events are the negative ones. The bad experiences help you to know who you are and grow to succeed in the future.
The book is packed with many small vignettes of people that have been deemed successful leaders. However, unlike other raw-raw business books, it also shows their failures. Even the CEO who seems to do everything right as he rises to the top can do something wrong that leads to his ouster. That doesn't make him a failure unless he chooses to let it. Chasing fame or position does not provide happiness. Material wealth may be beneficial at low levels, but after basic needs are met, more possessions can become a burden. Discovering your true north and having a good support group can help you to reach success and happiness. Having a mentor and somebody that you can share your deep feelings with is important. It is also good to have a two-way mentorship where both parties are getting something out of it.
There are also many leadership styles out there. Different styles are appropriate in different environments. Success often involves being in an environment that is conducive to your preferred style (and being willing to adapt.) Having a passion for what you are doing is also important. Having a lower level job that you really enjoy is better than a greater one that you do not like. A life outside of work is also important. However, it is also important to be the same person no matter where you are. In the end, you want to remember that the person in the leadership chair can change, but you will always have your personal legacy.